2009 SAAB 9-3 warning

247
Car care
Tire Chains
Notice: If your vehicle does not have
235/45R17 size tires, use tire chains only
where legal and only when you must.
Contact your Saab d ealer regarding suit-
able snow chains. Install them on the
front tires and tighten them as tightly as
possible with the ends securely
fastened. Drive slowly and follow the
chain manufacturer’s instructions. If you
can hear the chains contacting your
vehicle, stop and reti ghten them. If the
contact continues, slow down until it
stops. Driving too f ast or spinning the
wheels with chains on will damage your
vehicle.
If a Tire Goes FlatIt’s unusual for a tire to “blowout” while
you’re driving, especially if you maintain
your tires properly. If air goes out of a tire,
it’s much more likely to leak out slowly. But
if you should ever have a “blowout”, here are
a few tips about what to expect and what to
do:
If a front tire fails, the flat tire will create a
drag that pulls the vehicle toward that side.
Take your foot off the accelerator pedal and
grip the steering wheel firmly. Steer to main-
tain lane position, and then gently brake to
a stop well out of the traffic lane.
A rear blowout, particularly on a curve, acts
much like a skid and may require the same
correction you’d use in a skid. In any rear
blowout, remove your foot from the acceler-
ator pedal. Get the vehi cle under control by
steering the way you want the vehicle to go.
It may be very bumpy and noisy, but you can
still steer. Gently brake to a stop – well off
the road if possible.
If a tire goes flat, the next part shows how to
use your jacking equipment to change a flat
tire safely.
WARNING
If your vehicle has 235/45 R17 size tires,
don’t use tire chains, there’s not enough
clearance.
Tire chains used on a vehicle without the
proper amount of clearance can cause
damage to the brakes, suspension or
other vehicle parts. The area damaged by
the tire chains could cause you to lose
control of your vehicle and you or others
may be injured in a crash.
Use another type of traction device only if
its manufacturer recommends it for use
on your vehicle and tire size combination
and road conditions. Follow that manu-
facturer’s instructions. To help avoid
damage to your vehicle, drive slowly,
readjust or remove the device if it’s con-
tacting your vehicle, and don’t spin your
wheels.
If you do find traction devices that will fit,
install them on the front tires.93_US_7carcare_MY09.fm Page 247 Tuesday, April 15, 2008 11:26 AM
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253
Car care
Winter tiresWinter (snow) tires are recommended for
winter climates where the majority of your
driving will be done on snow and ice. Winter
tires should be fitted to all four wheels to
maintain a proper balance. Your Saab
dealer can advise you of to the correct size
tire for your car (if different from the original
size) and also supply Saab approved winter
tires pre-mounted on steel or alloy rims.
Winter tires normally use a different speed
rating compared to summer/all season tires.
Make sure not to exce ed the stated speed
rating on the tires you use.
Make sure that wheels with sensors for tire
pressure monitoring are fitted during
replacement if the car has automatic tire
pressure monitoring.Tire date codeTires should be regarded as perishable
goods. As the tires age, the rubber becomes
progressively harder, and the road holding
ability of the tires diminishes. This is partic-
ularly true on winter tires.
Tires have a code that specifies their date of
manufacture. The first two digits denote the
week number and the last two digits the year
followed by a filled triangle.
Automatic tire pressure
monitoring systemThe system consists of a sensor in each
wheel and a common receiver. The sensors
are located inside the tire in direct connec-
tion with the air pressure valves.
Make sure that wheels with sensors for tire
pressure monitoring are fitted during
replacement if the car has automatic tire
pressure monitoring.
The system will trigger a warning/alarm if
the spare wheel is fitted because it has no
sensor. Tire pressure informa
tion is transmitted
wireless to the receiver.
The system checks the tire pressures when
speed exceeds 19 mph (30 km/h).
The system is self-programming which
means that the wheels can be shifted
around without any need for adjustment.
The sensor batteries last for 10 years or
around 160 000 km. The battery cannot be
replaced. The whole sensor must be
replaced.
WARNING
The system is an aid to the driver. The
driver always has the responsibility that
the tires have the correct air pressure.
For optimum safety, economy and com-
fort tire pressures should be checked reg-
ularly even if the automatic tire pressure
monitoring has not alarmed.
NOTICETire replacement must take place with
great care to avoid damaging the sensors
that are built together with the valves.
 Remove the rear side first, see page 255.
 Start to remove the tire opposite the valve.
 During removal the tire machine must not come closer than ±10° from the
valve.
 During fitting, start 20° after the valve and finish 20° before the valve.
 Do not inflate the tire with pressure higher than 102 psi (700 kPa).
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254 Car careThe system does not warn if the tire pres-
sure is too high.
If the system has warned or triggered an
alarm due to inadequate pressure then
the pressure must be reset to the recom-
mended pressure so that the warning/alarm
is cleared.If the tire pressure decreasesIf the tire pressure decreases to 6 psi
(40 kPa) below the recommended pressure
then a warning is shown on the SID as to
which tires are affected.
Adjust the pressure as soon as possible. If the tire pressure continues to decrease
then an alarm is shown on the SID when the
pressure has decreased to 23 psi (160 kPa)
which is the lowest permitted pressure for
the tire.
An alarm is also received when leakage is
greater than 3 psi/min. (20 kPa/min.).
Reduce speed (avoid heavy braking and
significant steering wheel movement) and
stop the car as soon as possible at a suita-
ble location. Replace the defective wheel.
The fault message can remain for up to
10 minutes after restarting the car. Then it
disappears if the tire pressure is correct.Check/adjust the pressure in the other tires
when a fault message is shown.
Note that the tire pressure can decrease
without a puncture. The pressure could
decrease around 3 psi (20 kPa) during a
three month period.
The outside temperature could also affect
tire pressure.
The temperature in the
tire also affects the
tire pressure. The spec ified tyre pressures
are valid for cold tyres. The increased tyre
pressure resulting from extensive driving
must not be reduced. For further informa-
tion on tire air pressure , see page 240.
Allow 10 minutes for the system to recog-
nize the wheel/sensors positions after fitting
a new set of tires. During this period no low
pressure warning or alarm can be triggered.
Tire pressure low,
front right. Check tires.
Low tire pressure rear
left. Make a safe stop.
Valve with sensor
Valve without sensor
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256 Car careCompact spareThe compact spare is light and easy to
handle when changing the tire. Its use is
only permitted when a standard tire has sus-
tained a puncture. The maximum life of the
tire is only just over 2,000 miles (3,500 km).
Do not exceed 50 mph (80 km/h) with the
compact spare fitted.
The tire pressure should be 60 psi
(420 kPa). Put the punctured tire in the
spare wheel well under the trunk floor.
Have the standard tire repaired and refitted
as soon as possible.The spare tire, the tools and the jack with its
crank are carried under a panel in the trunk.
Fold the carpeting forward to ease access to
the tools and spare tire.
The screwdriver handle has a “button” for
removing plastic rivets. This type of rivet
must be removed when changing the light
bulb in the trunk lid (see page 226).
Your Saab is equipped with a trip computer
and you can use its “Speed warning” func-
tion, to monitor driving speed since you
must not exceed 50 mph (80 km/h), see
page 92.
WARNING
The spare tire or punctured tire must be
stowed under the trunk floor, and secured
in place with the retaining nut.NOTICETo avoid damaging a alloy wheel of a
punctured tire, this can be temporarily
placed outside up in the spare wheel well
but
only while driving to the closest work-
shop.
As a general rule, all heavy loads must be
well secured in the trunk (see page 139).93_US_7carcare_MY09.fm Page 256 Tuesday, April 15, 2008 11:26 AM
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258 Car careDriving with a compact wheel
fittedObserve the following when the compact
spare tire is fitted:
 The compact spare is light and easy to handle when changing a tire.
 Do not drive further than necessary with the compact spare fitted - the maximum
life of the tire is only just over 2,000 miles
(approx. 3,500 km).
 Refit the standard tire as soon as possi- ble.
 Fitting a spare tire/wheel without pressure sensor will trigger a malfunction
message, see page 255.
Important considerations when driving with
a compact spare tire:
 The car’s ground clearance is reduced.  The car must not be driven with more than
one compact spare tire at a time.
 Avoid driving against the curb.
 Do not use snow chains.
 Do not fit the wheel cover - this would conceal the warning text.
Changing a tire
WARNING
 Do not exceed 50 mph (80 km/h). The
tire can overheat affecting the car’s
road holding.
 Tire pressure: refer to page 291.
 The spare tire or punctured tire must be stowed under the trunk floor, and
secured in place with the retaining nut.
WARNING
Lifting a vehicle and getting under it to do
maintenance or repairs is dangerous
without the appropriate safety equipment
and training. The jack provided with your
vehicle is designed only for changing a
flat tire. If it is used for anything else, you
or others could be badly injured or killed if
the vehicle slips off the jack. Use the jack
provided with your vehicle only for chang-
ing a flat tire.
Changing a tire can be dangerous. The
vehicle can slip off the jack and roll over
or fall on you or other people. You and
they could be badly injured or even killed.
Find a level place to change your tire. To
help prevent the vehicle from moving:
1 Set the parking brake firmly.
2 If you have an automatic transmis- sion, put the shift lever in PARK (P).
For a manual transmission, leave the
car in gear (1st or REVERSE (R)).
3 Turn off the engine and do not restart while the vehicle is raised.
4 Do not allow passengers to remain in the vehicle.
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Car care
When the car has to be lifted, the jack must
be positioned at one of the four jacking
points (front or rear) under the sill members.
If a floor jack is used, the lifting plate must
be positioned under the normal jacking
points, see illustration. If the car is equipped
with a towbar, the jack can also be placed
under this.
To be even more certain the vehicle won't
move, you should put blocks at the front
and rear of the tire farthest away from the
one being changed. That would be the
tire, on the other side, at the opposite end
of the vehicle.
 The car jack is designed solely for use
in changing a tire or fitting snow
chains. It must not be used to sup-
port the car during repair work or
servicing.
 Never crawl under a car that is sup-
ported only by a jack. Always use axle
stands.
 Raising your vehicle too high or with the jack improperly positioned can
damage the vehicle and even make
the vehicle fall. To help avoid personal
injury and vehicle damage, be sure to
fit the jack lift head into the proper
location before raising the vehicle, and
raise the vehicle only far enough off
the ground so there is enough room for
the spare tire to fit (no more than
25 mm or 1 inch clearance between
the ground and the bottom of the tire).
 Switch on the hazard warning lights if the car is on a road.
 The jack should be stored correctly under the carpeting in the trunk. If it
lies loose in the car, it could thrown for-
ward and cause personal injury in the
event of a crash or if the car rolls over.
 Grit, salt and rust can clog the inner threads of the wheel bolts if the car has
been driven for several years exclu-
sively with alloy wheels.
If steel wheels are being installed, the
bolt hole threads in the brake hubs
should be cleaned before the thinner
steel wheels are fitted. It may other-
wise not be possible to achieve the
correct clamping force, despite tight-
ening the wheel bolts to the correct
torque.
NOTICEApply the jack only to the jacking points
indicated on the body.Jacking points for floor jack
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262 Car care
Tire repair kit3
The tire repair kit re places the spare wheel.
The repair kit allows a punctured tire to be
temporarily repaired and reinflated without
needing to remove the wheel.
Minor damage to the tire, such as a foreign
object that has penetrated the tread, can be
temporarily repaired with the repair kit.
Do not remove the foreign object. Damage
larger than 0.16 in. (4 mm) and damage to
the sidewalls cannot be repaired with the
repair kit.
Follow the instructions supplied with the
repair kit carefully.
If the compressor sounds strange or
becomes abnormally hot, leave it switched
off for at least 30 minutes.
WARNING
Make sure no one can jog the gear lever,
for example, as the engine must be idling
when the tire is repaired. There is other-
wise a risk of personal injury.
Do not use the repair kit if:
 the damage to the tire is larger than 0.16 in. (4 mm).
 the wheel is damaged.
Do not exceed 50 mph (80 km/h) after
repairing one of the car tires with the
repair kit.
WARNING
Change the punctured tire as soon as
possible.
Replenish the repair kit at a workshop.
We recommend that you contact an
authorized Saab workshop. The canister
of sealant must be changed once every
four years. See the date on the canister.
The handling characteristics of the car
may be impaired.
Driving with a tire that is underinflated or
has a puncture can damage the tire in
such a way that it is not possible to repair
it with the sealant.
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Car care
Prevent the compressor getting wet.
The canister of seal ant can only be used
once. Replace a used canister at a work-
shop. We recommend that you contact an
authorised Saab workshop.
The tire repair kit can be used at tempera-
tures down to –22°F (–30 °C). At low tem-
peratures the sealant is more viscous and
so is less able to seal slightly larger
damage.
If a punctured tire is to be repaired:
 Allow the engine to idle. The compressor will consume some energy.
 Apply the handbrake.
 Turn on the hazard warning light.
 Position the warning triangle to warn other drivers.
The repair kit is stowed under the luggage
compartment floor. 1 Allow the engine to idle.
2 Remove the repair kit from the luggage
compartment. 3 Remove the electric cable and the air
hose from the compartment on the
bottom of the compressor.93_US_7carcare_MY09.fm Page 263 Tuesday, April 15, 2008 11:26 AM
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